AP Environmental Science
Food and Water Resources - chapter 12 and 13
UN Agriculture and Food program
Mapping food and water use trends
I. Food production - p. 283-285
A. Industrialized agriculture - fig 12-7
B. Plantation agriculture
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often involves shifting cultivation and “slash and burn” techniques
C. Traditional subsistence agriculture
D. Traditional labor-intensive agriculture
E. Agricultural types vary in their fuel, land, and labor requirements
F. Animal farming requires large fuel costs
G. Organic agriculture - fig 12-7, 12-34
II. Food production improvements in the past 100 years – the “green revolutions”
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agricultural research has contributed to these revolutions. In the US, the primary research
agency is run by the USDA, and is headquartered just outside DC in Beltsville, MD
A. monocultures of high-yield varieties and high pesticide/fertilizer use raised
crop yields starting in the 50s
B. a second revolution involved higher-yield rice and wheat in tropical climates
C. in the US and other industrialized countries, farming has changed from a
family operation to a large business. Farming requires large energy inputs (fig.
12-10, 12-11)
D. grain production has flattened in recent years, especially when calculated per
capita (fig. 12-8)
E. genetic engineering (fig. 12-19) could provide the next revolutionary boost
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Super Organics - an article from May 2004 Wired magazine about "smart
breeding"
III. Challenges to agricultural production
A. malnutrition and under-nutrition are linked to poverty (fig. 12-2 and 12-3)
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NPR feature on poverty in Africa highlights the problems of food
production and farm subsidies in the US
B. over-nutrition plagues the developed world
C. environmental challenges include pollution (esp. pesticides), loss of
biodiversity, desertification, salinization, erosion, and human health (fig. 12-13,
14)
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check out this report - which foods are most likely to be contaminated
with pesticides?
learn about the True Cost of Food (more on sustainable agriculture under
"solutions", below)
be familiar with the details of the problems listed in fig. 12-13
Grist series on farming and the environment
CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) are a significant
problem associated with animal farming
National listing of fish advisories
a recent proposal would require large poultry farms in Maryland to be
inspected
find locations of "factory farms"
Multimedia on animal farm pollution: explore by map, watch a video
The movie "Food Inc" explores environmental and social justice issues
related to food production
1. Soil erosion is caused by water, wind, and people - fig 12-14 |
more on erosion here
2. some areas are dealing with serious erosion issues (fig. 12-16)
3. The Dust Bowl provides an example of what can happen
4. Desertification - fig. 12-17
5. Salinization - fig. 12-18, 12-29
6. Excess fertilizers ("nutrients")
D. the warming climate will have some positive and some negative impacts on
agriculture
IV. Potential solutions
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In the US, the controversial Farm Bill effects prices with subsidies for major crops but
also provides funding for many conservation initiatives, such as practices which preserve
wildlife habitat or prevent soil erosion
A. advantages and possible disadvantages of genetically-engineered foods (fig. 12-19 and
discussion p. 292-293)
B. expanding to new food sources
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"microlivestock"
insects you can eat - interactive
C. increased irrigation could help; improved efficiency is more promising (13-22,
13-23, 13-25; p. 337-338)
D. increased land cultivation is unlikely to be a wise choice
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there is "untapped potential" in urban areas
E. increased meat production faces significant challenges
1. much of the BLM-managed resources lands and also National
Forest lands in the West are now dedicated to grazing
2. over-grazing is a serious problem
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more on the Public Lands Grazing Campaign webpage
3. intensive livestock raising creates pollution issues and requires
large grain inputs - fig 12-32
4. Some research is being done on "in-vitro meat" - protein-rich
food grown in culture, in a lab
F. Grassland management/restoration
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The Quivera Coalition works to restore streamflow and habitat in western grasslands.
The Valle Vidal, a region of grasslands and mountains in New Mexico, has been the
focus of major restoration work
Grassbanking is a technique for improving the health of grazing lands
G. improved management of fisheries is needed
1. many fisheries are severely depleted (fig 11-16)
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how are fish caught? -fig. 11-5; industrial fish harvesting
making good choices in the fish you eat - Marine Stewardship Council
Seafood Watch - another guide to good seafood choices based on
sustainable fishing
Empty Oceans, Empty Nets - web site explores depleted fisheries
Save our Wild Salmon - advocacy group
2. aquaculture could help but has drawbacks (fig. 12-30; p. 286-287; p. 307308)
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The bluewater revolution - a story from Wired magazine about the
possibility of using robots to operate open-ocean fish farms
more info on how aquaculture works -- in New Zealand
A December 2007 report suggests that disease can easily spread from
aquaculture-raised salmon to wild stocks
Indoor aquaculture is a new possibility
Conservation has an in-depth report on aquaculture in Spring 2009
G. components of a sustainable agricultural system are discussed in section 12-6; also fig.
12-27, 28, 29, 33, 34
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what can individuals do?
Environmentally-friendly food choices
 Buying local food - Eat Wild | farmer's markets and farm shares | list of local
farmer's markets | national map-based list
 Restaurant Nora serves organic food near DuPont Circle
 The Slow Food movement promotes sustainable agriculture and the rediscovery
of local food styles and sources
 Shade grown/fair trade coffee: Songbird Coffee Company | Equal Exchange
 Guides to good seafood choices based on sustainable fishing: Seafood Watch |
Marine Stewardship Council | list of guides, searchable by species
 Store Wars is a movie spoof promoting organic farming
 17 tips for buying organic food cheaply
 check out an organic egg farm
 10 ways to eat well (from the Sierra Club)
 A system of National Marine Sanctuaries protects some areas from fishing
many organizations help meet the needs of the hungry, and you can support them
financially, with prayers, and by volunteering:
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Food for the Poor
Bread for the World
World Vision
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Heifer Project
World Renew
Campus Kitchen - NPR story on Gonzaga involvement
Christian Farmer's Federation (a group based in Ontario, Canada)
FreeRice (vocab game donates food to the hungry)
V. Pesticides - section 12-4, p. 286ff
A. Overview of pesticide types and uses
1. natural pest control in ecosystems - fig 12-22
2. 1st-generation pesticides
3. 2nd-generation pesticides, starting with DDT
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NT Times article - "What the world needs now is DDT"
4. examples of the major types
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pesticides database -- lots of good info
B. Benefits of pesticides – p. fig. 12-23
C. Negatives of pesticide use – fig. 12-23 and p. 296-298
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National Wildlife Research Center - Contaminants online
D. Regulation of pesticides in the US - FIFRA
E. Other methods of pest regulation
1. biological control
2. other methods listed p. 299-301
3. Integrated pest management (IPM)
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Pesticide Action Network
IPM program at UC Davis including what to do about
specific pests
IPM page from Cornell
How to reduce pesticide use at home
Chapter 13 – Water resources
I. Water availability, use, and shortages
A. How much of the world’s water is available? - p. 319
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calculate your water footprint | how much water is used in making various
products?
B. Water sources
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Check out the safety ratings for your drinking water
USGS Water Resources | Educational version |
Maryland/DC | Virginia
What's Tappening (advocacy group for tap water)
DC Water and sewer authority
1. surface water - watersheds
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real-time streamflow in Maryland and DC
real-time streamflow in Virginia
2. groundwater/aquifers – fig. 13-8, 13-11
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USGS Drought watch page
Report on remaining water in the Ogallala Aquifer
C. How do we use water? | more at this link
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calculate your "water footprint"
D. shortages
1. US areas with shortage – fig. 13-8, 13-9
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shortage can lead to controversy, such as in the Klamath
Basin (more here) in northern California or the Colorado
River basin (see below)
water "battles" are also heating up in Nevada, where
rapidly-growing Las Vegas continues to look for new water
sources
2. worldwide shortages and pollution stress on water – fig. 13-9,
13-10
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USGS Drought watch page
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The World's Water 2004-2005 is a report on the status of
water availability
II. Obtaining water – problems and solutions
A. purifying freshwater sources
B. dams and reservoirs
1. advantages and disadvantages – fig. 13-17 (more in chap 11 for
effects on habitat and wildlife)
2. case studies of dams – Colorado River | another link | and
another (fig. 13-1 and case study p. 318); Three Gorges Dam |
Aswan Dam (case study)
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Rampart Dam was proposed for the wilderness of Alaska but was not built
Some rivers have been preserved as National Wild and
Scenic Rivers
In the US, many dams are built and managed by the Bureau
of Reclamation
more on pros and cons of dams
a recent proposal will increase power production at a
Pennsylvania dam in order to aid fish migration
Interactive US map of dam removal sites
sediment build-up behind dams is a concern that has not
been adequately studied
Dam failures are a concern as well
C. water transfers – between watersheds
1. examples - California (fig. 13-19) and Quebec
2. a major disaster – Aral Sea in central Asia – case study p. 33334; fig. 13-20 | July 2007 WaPo article on partial recovery
D. tapping groundwater - fig 13-16
1. water table can become lower with over-use (fig. 13-15 and 1313)
2. saltwater intrusion can result from overdrawn aquifers in coastal
areas
E. towing water (icebergs) and cloud seeding
F. desalinization
1. methods – p. 335
2. drawbacks – expense and waste
G. water conservation
1. improved irrigation (fig. 13-22 and 13-25)
2. solutions for businesses and homes
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Tucson passed a rainwater harvesting regulation in 2008
3. xeriscaping – appropriate landscaping for the surrounding
environment
4. summary of a solutions and what you can do – fig. 13-28, 13-27
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Water-less urinals
Flush-mate - a new toilet design that saves water
Composting toilets
Low-flow shower heads
"Bayscaping" - landscaping with native plants and/or plants
which have low water requirements
Device uses "gray water" from the sink to flush the toilet
H. Too much water can be an issue as well
1. building on floodplains and wetlands – fig. 13-29
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mangroves in south Florida
2. cleared hillsides; also deforestation in general
3. hurricanes and flooding - Hurricane Katrina
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coastal erosion
overview of Army Corps of Engineers flood-control
projects | and efforts to reform the Corps
human activity can make flooding worse, as in the midwest
floods of 2008
4. solutions - fig 13-30